The Acorn Foundation and the trustees of the FAME Trust are pleased to announce the selection for the 2023 Emerging Practitioner Award recipient at the Ara Institute of Canterbury. Seven promising students are selected each year from top-rated performing arts schools in New Zealand to receive $10,000.

Musical theatre student Charlotte Howe has been chosen as this year's 2023 Emerging Practitioner Award recipient. The award will support Charlotte in her fourth year of study at Ara Institute of Canterbury, as she completes her final year studying a Bachelor of Music Theatre course at the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Arts (NASDA).

Charlotte has loved singing, dancing and acting since she was a child, and has cherished the opportunity to pursue her passion further at NASDA.

Charlotte says she is driven “by the power of storytelling and making characters come alive through acting, music and dance. I enjoy the communal part of performing and the joy of connecting as a group.”

To become the well-rounded student she is, Charlotte has put in extra work to improve her dancing. Charlotte is a member of the JK Performing Arts competition company, and she has recently competed at the New Zealand Dance Awards. This year she also played the role of Peter Pan in their productions of Peter Pan Jr.

 “Since joining NASDA she has been on a trajectory of improvement embracing everything in her path.  She is a talented triple-threat performer with a strong work ethic. We have no doubt she will thrive doing so in the performing arts industry, and this scholarship gives her the means,” says Sara Brodie, Programme Leader, NASDA, Ara Institute of Canterbury.

After graduating from NASDA, Charlotte would like to pursue the educational theatre sector. She had the opportunity to perform Honk Jr at primary schools, and she learnt about engaging children through performing and working as a team while on tour. Charlotte found the experience rewarding, to see the children’s reactions and to introduce theatre to those who haven’t experienced it before.

With the support of this award, Charlotte will be able to continue training and go on to achieve her goals of performing professionally. She expressed her gratitude for the award saying, “Thank you so much for your support in helping me achieve my dreams."